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Pet Parents Who Splurge on Their Dogs

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From rich and luxurious dog homes to hosting extravagant parties, these are dog parents who stop at no expense to go above and beyond for their dogs. Some might say this is going a bit overboard and some might say these pet parents are lavishing their dogs too much. Many of us, on the contrary, will react with a smile and a "way to go." Money means nothing to dogs, as they just want to be by our side and walking through life with us. However, there are folks who indulge for their dogs and we celebrate with them.

Meet people who take their passion for dogs to a whole other level when splurging on their doggie darlings.

Ahoy, Matey

“We bought a lake house because of our children. We then bought a new 20' pontoon boat and named it It’s a Dog’s Life,”Jerry Grodesky says.

Jerry’s children are his dogs, and he considers these girls his family. “Every cruise is like the first,” he says. “When we grab the orange boat bag to head to the pontoon, they are unstoppable from there.” Samantha, a Brittany Spaniel, and Lilly, a Min Pin mix, are always ready to set sail.

Dog in a Land of Enchantment

Jill Lane of Albuquerque, New Mexico, knows a thing or two about going above and beyond for her dog. Her sidekick, Travelin’ Jack (yep, that makes them Jack and Jill), is New Mexico’s esteemed pet travel reporter. This Olde English Bulldog shares his tales of travel on his very own dog blog.

Travelin’ Jack is New Mexico’s only dog to ever win an award for his work in pet travel as well as New Mexico’s ONLY award winning dog-author. He also proudly carries the title as New Mexico’s first ever Dog-Governor, so Jill Lane knows a thing or two about rolling out the red carpet for her pooch.

Home Away From Home

June and Mike Myers decided to do some traveling when they retired and take their dogs along for the ride. Many of us dream of the day when we can take to the open road with a canine pal by our side. The Myers family went one step further.

They did not want to leave their two Cocker Spaniels, Ziggy and Buster, in hotel rooms when they traveled, so in 2009 they bought a 38-foot class A diesel motorhome for the dogs as their second home. “Mike (my husband) even built a set of stairs for the bed and a removable footboard for it so we didn’t have to worry about them rolling off the bed at night,” June shares.

Hop on the Bus, Gus

“Our world revolves around Gus,” Angela Williams of Ringgold, Georgia beams. “Most every decision we make, we have him in mind." Doggie devotion seems to be a common thread these days.

The Williamses purchased a truck so their pooch could ride in comfort with them. He has a birthday party every year, with a recent addition being a chicken-flavored bubble machine at his party.

Williams admits, “I tell people all the time, if I knew that Gus had one day to live, and someone offered me a million dollars for him, I would turn down the money and take my one last day with him.”

Wardrobe Malfunction

Coco Chanel Bella need not worry about a wardrobe malfunction; her mom, Christine Aiello of Massapequa, New York, has a backup plan.

“When I first got my dog I said I would never dress her up. That didn’t last,” Aiello admits.

She became a clothes fanatic after purchasing a winter sweater for her little darling. “Most people spend time on Facebook to socialize with other people. I spend most of my time on Facebook looking for outfits to buy her from the designers on there or entering her into contests.”

Coco has her own closet full of dresses, sweaters, raincoats, boots, bows, sweatshirts, t-shirts, snoods, collars, leashes, necklaces and more.

Barktender, I’ll Have a Cold One

Amy Lee knows a thing or two about breweries. Scratch that—it’s her dog, Sumo, who knows about sudsy drinks on tap.

“As a beer loving family, Sumo has been to over 8 breweries throughout California from Mammoth Mountain to Russian River to Santa Cruz,” Lee reports. “In order to capture all of these memories, I have created a photo blog devoted to his adventures.”

A typical day in the life of Suma, a San Francisco Shiba, goes something like this: Morning walk in Alamo Square, stop by a local café to chat with baristas, attend cage-free doggie daycare while his mom goes to work or perhaps go into the offices of TravelNerd.com with Amy Lee. Dinner consists of boiled shim Mary's Organic Air Chilled Chicken from Whole Foods in addition to freeze dried Stella and Chewy's Surf 'N Turf dinner.

Some of us think they want to tag along with Sumo for the day!

Muttville Sholom

When Patty Stanton adopted 9-year-old Frankie from a shelter, she knew that four years later there was only one thing to do: Give the 13-year-old pooch a traditional Bar(k) Mitzvah celebration.

“After a traditional Jewish brunch of lox, bagels, cream cheese, and plenty of dog treats, the ceremony began,” Stanton recalls. “Attended by dog-loving friends and family, we made it a heart-warming benefit for Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.”

The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow

Morgan Avila of Lynbrook, New York, knows that tomorrow is only a day away, since her dog, Mr. America, has graced the stage for the part of Sandy in two seasons of Annie the musical.

Since Avila travels up and down the east coast for shows and appearances with her big pooch, she bought him his very own truck. Mr. America will need those wheels to take him to practice for a part in the forthcoming adaptation of Oliver Twist.

High Kicks for a Small Pooch

When your dog mom is a former Rockette, life will be anything but ordinary for a New York doggie socialite. Puccini is the pint-sized performer of Leslie Riddle. The duo call home the 37th floor of a high rise in the middle of Hell's Kitchen district in New York City.

“He has three little beds around his apartment that he loves to lounge on when not attending parties, fundraisers, taking walks around the city or playing with his friends,” Riddle muses.

Chico and the Mom

Last but not least is Stella Panzarino of Brooklyn, New York. She and her 11-year-old Papillon, Chico, are quite the celebrities of the New York doggie set.

“There isn't anything I wouldn't do for my dog. Clothes, birthday parties, red carpet events, fundraisers, best man at doggies weddings—these are all the norm,” she says. “I talk to him all the time and by the look in his eyes, the tilt of his head and the actions he takes or doesn't take, I know that we are communicating and that we understand each other. “

We speak the language of dog, too, Stella!

What is the most extravagant thing you have done for your dog? Bark at me in the comments below!

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Carol Bryant

"A dog lover of the highest order,” is how Gayle King introduced Carol Bryant when she and her Cocker Spaniel appeared on Oprah Radio’s Gayle King show to dish dogs. She is founder of her own canine-centric magazine-style dog blog, Fidose of Reality, fidoseofreality.com.